This invention relates to a propellant case composed of a case sleeve and a case bottom and forming part of a cartridge ammunition.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,159,678 discloses a propellant case which includes a case bottom having a case bottom base and a case bottom dome extending axially into the propellant case and being provided with a support for a threaded primer. The case bottom dome is unremovably connected with the case bottom base. For securing the case sleeve to the case bottom, in the known propellant case an annular flat spring steel member is provided which is disposed concentrically around the case bottom dome and which presses the case sleeve against the case bottom base. The spring steel member is held in place by a securing ring mounted on the case bottom dome.
It is, among others, a disadvantage of the above-outlined known propellant case that a replacement of the case bottom is possible only by disassembling the entire ammunition cartridge. Since in current large-caliber cartridge ammunition more and more frequently case bottoms are used which hold electronic components such as sensors (for example, temperature sensors) or micro control devices, it is expedient to develop cartridges in which the base bottom is replaceable so that, if required, even conventional cartridges may be converted in a simple manner into cartridges which have electronic components in the case bottom.